Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles embedded in electrospun carbon nanofiber membranes as flexible and high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

Abstract

Abstract Ditungsten carbide (W 2 C) nanoparticles embedded in graphene nanoribbon/carbon nanotube-carbon nanofiber (GC-CNF) composite membrane has been prepared by one-pot electrospinning with subsequent carbonization. The homogeneous distribution of small-sized W 2 C nanoparticles in-situ formed during carbonization within the carbon nanofibers, provides abundant electroactive sites for high electric double layer capacitance. The carbon nanotube bridged graphene nanoribbon hybrid could enhance the conductivity of carbon nanofibers, while the fibrous web structure favors rapid ion diffusion, thus offering fast electron/ion transport pathways during the electrochemical process. Moreover, the W 2C nanoparticles embedded in nanofiber structure could prevent their oxidation during the electrochemical process, contributing to enhanced cyclic stability. Consequently, the GC-CNF@W2C composite membrane exhibits high specific capacitance of 256 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and good cycling stability of 95.6% retention after 2500 cycles. Therefore, the GC-CNF@W2C composite membrane shows great potential as electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.